Tag Archives: Paleo

Paleo Chicken Fideo

Paleo Chicken Fideo

It has been an eventful last few days for me with Easter and Fiesta festivities. I think I indulged way too much this past week. Every time I visit my family, it’s so hard to resist the delicious, non-paleo food they make. I don’t know about your family, but my family sure does like to eat, especially on holidays! What do you do to resist temptation at family gatherings? Any tips? Even though I stray away from strict paleo eating at times, the important thing is that I always get back on track. It’s getting harder and harder for me to cheat. Sometimes I think I can have a little dairy or a little gluten every once in a while and usually end up paying for it with an upset stomach and low energy.

This chicken fideo is the perfect meal to make if you feel you have indulged a bit too much. It’s so simple to make, but very satisfying. It always hits the spot when I’m craving chicken fideo. I grew up eating the fideo that’s packaged in a yellow box, which is a short, thick noodle. When I was in college, I had a roommate who used super thin, long noodles that I loved. Since I no longer eat regular fideo, I use kelp noodles for my fideo and they remind me a lot of the kind my roommate used to make. Have you ever tried kelp noodles? They are amazing! They are long and thin and are great for stir fry, pasta dishes and salads because they are basically flavorless so you can add any spices to them. These raw noodles are made from a type of seaweed and are high in iodine, which is great for your thyroid. Give them a try!

Chicken fideo

Paleo Chicken Fideo
Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs
1 12 oz bag of kelp noodles, rinsed under cold water and cut into smaller strands
1/2 white onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Mexican oregano
2 tsp salt, divided

Directions:
1. Add water to a stockpot and add in onion, garlic, 1 tsp salt and chicken.
2. Bring water to a boil on high heat and then reduce heat to medium. Cook for one hour.
3. Scoop out the chicken, onions, garlic and 1 cup of the water used for boiling the chicken and add to a pan on low-medium heat.
4. Stir in tomato paste and carefully break apart chicken into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon.
5. Add in noodles, oregano and 1 tsp salt and cook for 5 minutes to allow the noodles to get warm and soak up the flavors.
6. Serve in bowls.

The leftover liquid used for boiling can be refrigerated or frozen in a freezer bag and used as chicken stock for future dishes.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

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Paleo Chiles Rellenos

Paleo Chiles Rellenos

Did your mom ever tell you “you’re going to like it when you grow up” when you refused to try a certain food when you were little? I can remember my parents telling me this all the time when I turned down peppers, guacamole, mole, guisados and tons of other things they made when I was growing up. Chiles rellenos were one of those things I used to think were super spicy and would never eat. Little did I know that one day this dish would be in my monthly meal rotation.

I have to say, my mother-in-law makes the best chiles rellenos! She knows the way to our heart by making a batch of these every time we visit. Her chiles inspired me to make my own without regular flour. I have tried chiles rellenos with both coconut flour and tapioca flour and tapioca was definitely the winner. While the coconut flour worked well, it seemed to get too hard and crunchy when cooked in oil. I enjoyed these chiles with a side of my Mexican cauliflower rice and sliced avocado.

Oh by the way, Happy Fiesta if you live in San Antonio! Fiesta is an 18-day city-wide party filled with live music events, food, festivals, parades and cascarones! While I think 18 days of non-stop partying is a little crazy, I totally enjoy the lively feeling the city has during this time.

Paleo Chiles Rellenos
Makes 6 chiles

Ingredients for chiles:
6 poblano peppers
1 cup finely ground tapioca flour (starch)
2 pastured eggs, beaten with a hand mixer for 4 minutes until fluffy
3 tbsp coconut oil

Ingredients for meat filling:
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 lb grass fed ground beef
1/2 small onion, diced
3 pitted dates, chopped
1 tbsp pecans, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Mexican oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Directions for meat:
1. Season ground beef with garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to stir and break up the meat as it cooks.
2. Add in coconut oil and onions and cook for an additional 5 minutes until meat is fully cooked.
3. Stir in dates and pecans and cook for additional 2 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

Directions for chiles:
1. Turn on oven to broil.
2. Rinse and dry poblano peppers and put them on a baking sheet lined with foil.
3. Place peppers in oven and broil for 8 minutes, turning the peppers half way through. Peppers should be charred and blistered when you take them out of the oven.
4. Wrap peppers in a moist kitchen towel and let them cool for about 5 minutes.
5. When peppers are cool enough to touch, carefully peel off the skin. Rinse peppers under cold water to help remove any excess skin.
6. Cut a 1-inch slit in each pepper and carefully remove the seeds with a spoon. Leave in a few seeds if you like your chiles spicy. Don’t worry too much if your slit is a little larger than an inch.
7. Add coconut oil to a pan and turn on heat to medium.
8. Stuff each pepper with meat and carefully dip into the egg and then coat with tapioca flour, holding the slit shut so that no egg or flour gets inside the pepper. (Use toothpicks to hold the slit shut if it’s hard to hold.)
9. Place stuffed peppers (in batches) on pan and cook for about 4 minutes on each side until the flour turns to a light brown color.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Fajita Taco Salad Bowls

Fajita taco salad

Sometimes I really, really miss taco bowls from this big Tex-Mex fast food chain. Yeah, you know which place I’m talking about. They are loaded with beans, rice, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, fajitas and all inside a fried corn? shell. They used to seem like such a “healthy” choice when compared to other fast food joints, but more than half of the stuff in that bowl now makes me sick. I was really craving one of these bowls so I decided to make my own. I promise you this salad is the most satisfying salad you’ll ever eat. It’s so simple to make and is sooo good.

Fajita Taco Salad Bowls
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients for fajitas:
1 pound beef skirt steak
2 tsp salt
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp EVOO

Fajitas

Ingredients for salad:
2 cups of frozen (or fresh) strips of red and green bell pepper and onion
4 cups of romaine lettuce, chopped
2 large avocados, mashed in a bowl with juice of a small lime (guacamole)
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp EVOO
Chopped jalapeno (optional)
Spicy salsa (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat and add EVOO.
2. Season meat on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.
3. Place the meat on the skillet and cook each side for about 5 minutes until desired doneness. (5 minutes on each side comes out medium well)
4. Remove the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing into thin strips.
5. In the same skillet, add 1 tblsp of EVOO, bell peppers and onions and sauté for 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
6. Compose each salad in a bowl with lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, cilantro, fajitas and a hefty scoop of guacamole.

Enjoy!!

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Paleo Fried Avocado

Paleo fried avocado

If you haven’t noticed, I really like avocados. I think almost everything I make has to involve an avocado somehow. If you don’t like avocados, sorry! There’s this amazing food truck in Austin that serves the best fried avocado taco. It’s served on a corn tortilla with beans, pico de gallo, lettuce, cheese and some super addictive green sauce. It’s so not paleo, but I can’t resist when I’m in Austin. I really wanted to attempt fried avocado and I must say it was a huge success. If you’re missing a crunchy and creamy element in your salads or need a new side item, fried avocado will do the trick. I drizzled mine with my avocado cilantro crema and ate it with a fork…yes, I ate avocados with more avocados drizzled on top. I might need help. 😉

Paleo Fried Avocado
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 large Haas avocado
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, whisked in a bowl
4 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:
1. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and carefully remove the skin. Slice each piece in half lengthwise. You should now have four slices of avocado.
2. On a plate, add coconut flour and salt.
3. Add coconut oil to a pan and heat on medium.
4. Dip each slice of avocado into the egg and then coat with coconut flour and salt.
5. Carefully place slices in the oil and cook on all sides for about 2 minutes each until flour looks golden brown.
6. Serve warm.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Shrimp Ceviche

Shrimp ceviche
Happy Sunday! I’m so glad it’s finally spring! These last couple of weeks have been a little inconsistent with cold and rainy weather one day and warm and sunny the next, but I’m excited for the next month or two of warm weather before the hellish Texas heat sets in for the summer. I’m looking forward to evening walks, dining outdoors, spending Easter with my family and my husband’s commencement ceremony.

What are your favorite recipes for springtime? If I had to choose a favorite meal, I’d have to say this shrimp ceviche would be the winner. The freshness and simplicity of this recipe is so great. This is the perfect meal for entertaining on a spring afternoon. Serve it alongside tostones or corn tostadas for a beautiful presentation. My husband, dad and grandfather really enjoy this ceviche so I’d say it’s a crowd pleaser, even with the most picky eaters.

Ceviche tostada

Shrimp Ceviche
Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
12 oz cooked shrimp (peeled and deveined), roughly cut or kept whole
2 large Haas avocados, diced
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 1/2 cups cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 3 lemons
Juice of 3 limes
2 tbsp EVOO
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp sea salt

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, add tomatoes, onion, cilantro, garlic, shrimp, lemon juice and EVOO and combine.
2. Add the avocado, lime juice, salt and pepper and carefully combine.
3. Chill ceviche in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

PRINTABLE RECIPE